How Much Money Do YouTubers Make?
The popularity of YouTube has exploded since it first launched in 2005. With more 1.7 billion unique visitors a month, YouTube itself is hugely successful, but the site has also served as a platform for a series of internet celebrities to find fame and fortune.
These YouTube stars have huge fan bases and their videos rack up millions and even billions of views, bringing in impressive revenue from advertising, endorsements and other business ventures.
So just how much do YouTubers make? Check out some of the top YouTube earners of 2021, according to Forbes, and ways you can cash in on social media.
How Much Money Do You Make on YouTube?
How much money you make on YouTube depends on your niche/audience and how many subscribers you have.
You can start side hustling with the YouTube Partner Program, but you’ll need to meet minimum requirements first. To get accepted to the program, you’ll need:
At least 1,000 subscribers
A minimum of 4,000 hours of your content watched in the last 12 months
A linked Google AdSense account for payment
To follow and agree to the YouTube channel monetization policies
How Much Money Does a YouTuber Make Per Hour?
Breaking it down to earnings per hour is hard. It all depends on how long it takes you to produce content and build an audience. It may take you months to make a living hourly wage when you’re just getting started. But as your audience grows and your YouTube production expertise gets better, you could conceivably start making YouTube star income. However, it’s easier to look at income by subscribers and views.
How Much Do YouTubers Make Per 1,000 Views?
There is no exact formula for how much you can make when you have a successful YouTube channel, but there is a way to measure earnings per views.
According to data from Influencer Marketing Hub, the actual rates an advertiser pays YouTubers are between 10 and 30 cents per view, with an average of 18 cents per view. On average, a YouTube channel receives $18 per 1,000 ad views, which equals $3-$5 per 1,000 video views. If you receive 1,000 views per day, you could potentially earn $90-$150 per month.
How Much Do YouTubers Make Per 100,000 Views?
If you can grow your subscriber base to a significant number to hit at least 100,000 views, and you are able to make $3-$5 per 1,000 views, that equals $300-$500 per 100,000 views. If your video gets 100,000 views per day, that’s $9,000 to $15,000 per month.
How Much Money Do You Make on YouTube Per One Million Views?
Again, considering the average revenue of $3-$5 per 1,000 views, you would earn $3,000-$5,000 with 1 million views. At 1 million views per day, your monthly income would be a whopping $90,000-$150,000 per month. And while that seems absolutely impossible to earn that level of income in 30 days, it’s not for some.
The biggest YouTube Stars easily hit 1 million views per video and often much, much more. For example, a video from top YouTube earner Mr. Beast, “Would You Swim With Sharks for $100,000?”, was viewed over 60 million times in just two months.
How Much Do YouTubers Make When They Hit Big?
Did you know that Justin Bieber’s rise to fame started on YouTube? His videos performing music as a kid went viral and catapulted him into legitimate musician status. And according to Influencer Marketing Hub, the pop singer made a jaw-dropping $226 million on the platform last year. Bieber aside, how much money do YouTubers make?
Take a look at the trajectory of some of the highest paid YouTubers right now for inspiration. You’ll find that they are regular people, even some kids, who managed to grow a following that makes them millions of dollars today. Here are ideas on how to make money on YouTube from the stars that do it best.
Mr. Beast
Estimated earnings: $54 million a year
With a whopping 96.5 million subscribers, Jimmy Donaldson — aka Mr. Beast — tops the list of highest-paid YouTubers. His videos cost $10,000 to produce, according to Rolling Stone magazine, and include challenges such as “Would You Swim With Sharks for $100,000?” and “Extreme $500,000 Game of Tag.” But that’s not the only way Donaldson makes his millions. He also owns MrBeast Burger, which is a ghost-kitchen concept that operates out of existing restaurants; Feastables, his own line of 100% plant-based chocolate bars; and he sells an estimated $500,000 per month in Mr. Beast merch.
Markiplier
Estimated earnings: $38 million a year
Mark Fischback — also known as Markiplier — has been at the YouTube earnings game for about a decade. He only has about one-third the amount of Mr. Beast’s subscribers at 32.9 million, but he still pulls in a hefty sum each year. His videos largely focus on making humorous comments as shows off his video-gaming skills. Markiplier said in a recent interview with YouTuber Anthony Padilla that the amount of wealth one can make on YouTube is “unfair” and that he’s given a lot of his wealth to charity.
Nastya
Estimated earnings: $28 million a year
The Like Nastya channel tops the list of most-viewed YouTube channels ever. Nastya’s loyal, 96 million subscribers tune in regularly to watch the child star learn new things, study math or read a book with her dad, attend her friend’s birthday parties, play dress up and more. In addition to her YouTube fame, Nastya recently signed a deal to create branded merchandise such as clothing, toys and homeware — plus, an NFT collection.
Ryan’s World
Estimated earnings: $27 million a year
Ryan’s World is a YouTube channel that’s dominating in views, subscribers and income. Boasting 32.6 million subscribers, 10-year-old Ryan Kaji makes not quite $30 million from his channel, but that’s nothing compared to the Ryan’s World reported retail sales of $250 million at major stores including Walmart and Target.
Dude Perfect
Estimated earnings: $20 million a year
The Dude Perfect channel has 57.6 million subscribers, making it the most subscribed sports channel on YouTube. The dudes of Dude Perfect make most of their money from the sponsored ads on their channel. Even if they’re splitting the cash five ways, making $4 million each per year playing sports with your high school buddies is a pretty sweet way to make a living.
How Do YouTubers Get Paid?
As you can see from the biggest YouTube stars, how to make money on YouTube is more than getting views. You’ll also need to go after a few different income streams. There are a few ways to make money on YouTube. The savviest stars take advantage of all of them, including:
Sponsorships and collaborations with brands promoting their products
Affiliate sales in which you get a commission if your audience buys a product or service you recommend
Selling your products and merchandise
Using the channel to promote your other projects
Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting for this article.
This article has been updated with additional reporting since its original publication.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Money Do YouTubers Make?
